"Samantha, come on! You're not finished yet!" 

I moved my hands up as a sign of 'wait' to my trainer while drinking water. I was on a hardcore workout for today because of the upcoming fashion show with the lingerie brand I was working with. I had been training for days! And guess what? Yanna left her child with me again, so...

"Go Tita-Ninang!" Avrielle laughed cutely while sipping on her juice. 

She was seated on the bench, watching me do my work out. Mahihimatay na 'ata ako! Ayaw ko lang na makita niya. I was always with Avrielle everywhere I went. Pakiramdam ko ako na ang Mommy niya! Buti hindi pa niya 'ko tinatawag na Mommy! 

I wiped my sweat before doing my workout all over again. I was working on my legs and ass. Damn, being a model was so hard. I had to go through this for months, and I can't even skip a session! Ang hirap din kumain! Arah was so strict about my food! 

"I'm going to die now, Rich," I told my trainer after removing the bands on my legs. "My thighs are giving up on me. My butt is burning." 

"Just a few more. Keep it burning," he encouraged me. I sighed heavily before doing it again. "Pagod or fashion show? You can only pick one!" 

"Fashion show!" I yelled to have more energy. 

Thank goodness, it was finally over! While cooling down, Avrielle went to me and mimicked my moves. Kapag tinataas ko ang binti ko, tinataas niya rin ang sa kanya. She was so bored! Binigyan ko pa siya ng yoga mat para roon humiga. Her clothes will get dirty! 

"Can I play with the ball?" she asked innocently while staring at the big gym ball. 

"That's not something you can play with, Avrielle," I told her while stretching my arms. She pouted and looked around for more things to play with. The gym was a private one for models and artists. Kaunti lang ang tao ngayon but everyone was working really hard. 

My trainer helped me push my back down to the mat to stretch my body more. I held on to my toes while Avrielle was walking around. When I stood up, I heard a loud cry. Napalingon kaagad ako kay Avi at nakita siyang nasa sahig at dumudugo ang ilong! 

"Oh my god!" I ran to her and held her chin up. She was crying while holding her nose! Nasubsob siya sa sahig right after throwing herself on the big ball! "I told you not to play with it! Gosh!" 

I panicked! Tinakpan ko kaagad ang ilong niya gamit ang panyo ko. She was still crying while holding onto the handkerchief with her little hands. Yanna would kill me! Oh my gosh! 

"Let's go!" I carried her and got my bag on the bench before running out of the gym to take her to the hospital. She hurt her nose, and she looked dizzy! Did she hit the floor that badly?! 

I didn't have the chance to change my clothes anymore! Hindi na rin ako nakapag-shower! I was wearing a beige sports bra and black leggings! Good thing I brought my car with me today and didn't depend on Arah's van. Avrielle won't stop crying while we were on the way. 

"I'm sorry I shouted," I told her. "We're going to get your nose checked. Is it still bleeding?" 

She nodded at the back. I sighed heavily and sped up. Nang makarating na sa parking, I carried her and went inside the hospital to go to Dr. Lana's clinic. I was calling her a while ago, but she wasn't answering! 

I looked like I was holding an injured dying person when I entered the hospital. Dumeretso kaagad ako sa hintayan ng elevator habang tinatawagan si Doc. Maybe she was busy? I didn't know why I was panicking so badly. My heart started to race even faster when the elevator door opened, and Clyden was there, texting. He was wearing a white coat, specs, and a stethoscope around his neck. 

Some of the people went out, but he stayed there like he entered the wrong elevator. He probably thought it was going up. I stepped inside and stood there, maintaining a distance from him. 

"What floor?" he suddenly asked. 

"5th," I told him. 

A moment of silence came, and I saw him staring at my back. When I looked at him, I realized that he was talking to someone else on the phone! 

What the heck! Binalik ko na lang ulit ang tingin ko sa harapan. My face started to heat out of embarrassment! But... he still moved forward and clicked the fifth floor for me without saying anything to me. "Yes, Doc," he said before moving his phone down. 

"Tita-Ninang, blood." Avi removed the handkerchief from her nose and showed the blood to me. My eyes widened, and I suddenly shoved the handkerchief back on her face again out of panic. 

"I'm sorry. Do you know where Doctor Lana is?" I had to ask him that! I had no other choice. 

He looked a bit surprised that I talked to him. He hid his phone in his pocket and looked at me with hesitation. Why? What was stopping him from answering me? 

"Ward. I'm going there. Take her with me," he said in a monotone before pushing the fifth floor again to remove the button light. 

I pursed my lips and stared in front again. When the elevator opened on the sixth floor, he went out, so I stalked him from the back. Kapag hihinto siya, napapahinto rin ako. I didn't know if he was purposely stopping to text someone, so I would panic and stop, too! Muntik ko na siyang mabunggo sa likod! 

"Can't you walk faster, please?" I asked. 

He looked at me and raised a brow. He was like asking 'Sino ka para utusan ako?' without saying a word. I pursed my lips and looked away to avoid awkward eye contact. He scoffed and walked again, so I followed him. 

"Put her there." He pointed at the empty bed when we entered the ward. The large room full of beds was specially designed for kids just by looking at the walls and the colors.

I put Avrielle down to sit on the bed while Clyden was talking to the nurse at the counter. He was looking at a folder while saying something. I looked around and saw Dr. Lana talking to a patient. She looked busy, so I didn't try to catch her attention. 

Clyden walked over to Dr. Lana and pointed at me so both of them looked at my direction. Dr. Lana gave me a smile before tapping Clyden's shoulder. Nang maglakad papunta sa amin si Clyden, napaiwas ako ng tingin at napaayos ng upo. 

He sat on the other side of the bed, pulling gently on Avi's wrist so she could face him. "What happened?" he asked me when he removed the handkerchief from Avrielle's face. 

"I think she hit her face flat on the floor at the gym..." Speaking of! I was suddenly reminded that I was still wearing my gym clothes! 

"Why would you bring your kid to the gym?" he sarcastically asked.

Hindi ko nga alam kung sarcastic ba 'yon dahil masyadong kalmado ang boses niya. Maybe because he was facing a child. This two-faced person! 

He checked Avrielle's nose and asked her some questions before standing up and going to the counter. When he went back, he already had an ice pack with him. He pinched Avrielle's nose a bit and wiped the remaining blood before gently putting an ice pack over the upper part of the nose. 

Kumuha pa siya ng cotton buds para linisin 'yong dry blood sa ilong ni Avrielle. I was just sitting there on the other side, watching him. He was smiling at Avrielle and talking to her about her favorite games or something, just to distract her. 

"Yeah? You like Rapunzel?" Clyden asked, laughing a bit. "Why? Do you like her long hair?" 

"Yes, and she's pretty, and... and she's a princess. I am a princess, too," Avrielle answered. Her voice changed because of the ice pack on her nose. "Am I pretty?" 

"Of course you are," Clyden replied while putting the cotton on the tray with one hand because he was still holding the ice pack on Avi's nose. "You're a pretty princess."

He got a wet tissue to clean Avrielle's hand, too. Since she covered her nose earlier, she got blood stains on her hand. I stood up and went to their side to see if I could help. 

"Can you hold this for me, please," he said. It was more like a command than a question! Hindi man lang tumaas ang tono ng boses niya sa dulo so I knew that he was talking to me. His voice changed. 

I walked closer and stared at Avrielle's face. He didn't tell me what to hold! I thought he was talking about the wet tissue, so I moved my hand and tried to get it. He suddenly stopped wiping Avi's hand when our fingers touched. 

Nakakunot na ang noo niya nang tingnan niya 'ko pabalik. My eyes widened in surprise. Why was he looking at me like that? 

"I was pertaining to the ice pack," he said with his brows still furrowed. 

"O-oh!" I immediately moved my hand away and touched the small ice pack on Avrielle's nose. Binitawan niya kaagad 'yon nang pumalit na ang kamay ko, like he was careful not to come in contact with me again. 

He stood up and went to the counter to give the tray to the nurse. After that, Dr. Lana went to me to check on Avi again. I told her the story about what happened at the gym, and she laughed at it! She told me to keep an eye on her because it was natural for kids to get curious about the things they hadn't seen yet. 

"Just to make sure, go and get her an x-ray." She handed me a note and told me to go to the x-ray room. Hindi ko alam kung saan 'yon. "Doctor Ramirez, can you take the kid there? May gagawin ka pa ba? I can ask the nurse." 

Napalingon ako kay Clyden na kakalapit lang din. He looked at his watch and checked his phone for a message before nodding. "Yes, Doc. I can." 

He put Avrielle down in a wheelchair before pushing her out of the ward. Nakasunod lang ako sa likuran niya, feeling a little cold and awkward because of my outfit. I was also conscious of my odor. Did I smell like sweat? I couldn't get close to him because of that. 

We entered a room, and he talked to the person at the counter. Nang ilahad niya ang kamay niya sa 'kin, naguluhan ako ulit. He looked at me again and raised a brow, losing his patience now. 

"The paper," he clearly said. 

"Oh!" When I handed him the paper, I noticed that he wasn't wearing the ring anymore. It was the same with me, though, but I had it stored inside my drawer. Did he also keep it? He asked me to keep mine, but he didn't say that he would keep his. 

Why was I thinking of the ring at this time? It happened years ago. Baka hindi na nga niya naaalala ang tungkol doon. Besides, both of us were now distant from each other. It was impossible to hang out like we used to. 

"Just wait for them to call the child's name. You can pay there," he pointed at the small counter. "Then bring the x-ray result back to Dr. Lana. I'll go now." 

"Thank y-" He cut me off by turning his back against me. He started walking away without looking back. Ni hindi na niya 'ko pinatapos! He was back to his rude self, huh?! Kapag sa mga pasyente niya, ang bait niya, ah! 

When the result came out, I showed it to Dr. Lana again, and it was a good thing it wasn't anything serious! She asked Avrielle to take a rest after that, but I had an upcoming photoshoot, so I had to leave her with Francine, my assistant. Sa dressing room ko na ng studio pinatulog si Avi. 

"Gorgeous! Sobrang ganda mo talaga, Samantha Vera!" The director praised me after the shoot. I liked how the raw photos turned out. Posing in front of the camera was like breathing for me. I could do it so normally now. 

For weeks, my routine was full of workouts, photoshoots, walk training, and taking care of Avi. Yanna would always go home to my condo looking troubled, so I figured out that she was already seeing Hiro at that time. 

Because my world was too wide already, I didn't expect to see Clyden outside the hospital. When I took a morning run in a small park just beside my condo building, I also saw him with a Golden Retriever puppy! He was wearing a black shirt and a pair of black athletic shorts. He was looking at his digital watch while holding the leash of the dog. 

When I ran past their direction, the puppy tried to run with me. Clyden let go of the leash so it wouldn't choke the puppy. Napahinto tuloy ako sa pag-jog nang lumapit na sa akin 'yong aso. I kneeled and caressed the puppy's face. It looked so fluffy! Especially the ears! 

"Hello, what's your name?" I talked to the dog like it would answer me. 

"Solar." I looked up at Clyden when I heard his voice. He was already standing right in front of me, picking up the leash. 

"New dog?" I casually asked. The puppy started licking my hand, so I couldn't let go of her. She was wagging her tail, too! 

"It's Summer's daughter." 

My brows furrowed, and I looked up at him. Summer? As in Summer, the Golden Retriever he owned? I looked around and tried to find Solar's mom, but she wasn't around. Ibang aso lang ang mga nakita ko sa park. 

"She already died," Clyden said, pursing his lips and looking away. "Summer." 

"Oh..." I slowly stood up and looked down at the floor. Summer was already gone? I didn't know what to feel about that. It must be hard for him, huh? He was with the dog for so many years. "I'm sorry." How I wished I was there during her last breath. She helped me a lot during the times when I was feeling down. 

He suddenly got a call, so he walked away for a moment. When he came back, he looked like he was in a hurry. Kinuha niya ang leash sa sahig at binigay sa 'kin. I held it in confusion! 

"Can you take care of her for me? I'll come back later." He was typing so fast! Hindi rin siya nakatingin sa 'kin habang nagsasalita. "Sorry, there's an emergency. Thanks." 

Before I could even say no, he already walked away so fast! I saw him running after a few steps. It must be an emergency at the hospital! I stood there for a few more minutes, wondering how I suddenly ended up with a dog when I was just asking about the name. 

"Oh, no. What will I do with you?" I scratched my head and carried the puppy back to my unit. Good thing the condo allowed pets inside. I chose the same building as my condo when I was in college so it wouldn't be hard for me to keep in touch with my friends. The unit was just bigger this time. 

Ugh, Clyden! Paano niya kukuhanin pabalik 'to ngayon? Bakit nga ba naroon siya? Did he get a unit around here? Well, the hospital was kind of near here. Avrielle was so happy to see a dog, though! She played with it all day! 

"Bagong aso mo?" Yanna asked when she came home. 

"No, pinabantayan lang." I couldn't tell her the thing about meeting Clyden! She would probably sigh in disapproval! 

"Hindi naman nangangagat 'yan, 'no?" she asked again. 

"Hindi, ah. Ang bait nga, e." I looked at the puppy again. Hay, when will your Dad come back? Ang tagal niya nang nandito. I didn't know what to feed him! I also lost Clyden's number, so I didn't know how to contact him. 

When Yanna was already asleep with Avi, I received a text from an unknown number. The typing format was familiar, so I immediately figured out who texted. 

From: Unknown Number

Bring her to the park again. 

I put my phone back inside my pocket and carried the dog down to the lobby. How did he even get my number? Kay Dr. Lana? Whatever. Naglakad na lang din ako papunta sa park. Good thing maliwanag pa rin dahil sa mga ilaw sa puno. A lot of people were also dating at the park. 

I put the dog down when I saw Clyden waiting there. Solar automatically ran to her owner, so Clyden carried her with him before looking at me again. He was wearing something semi-formal now. His coat was on his arms. 

"Thank you. I'm sorry for the trouble," he said without any emotion. He looked like he wasn't even apologetic about it. 

"Okay, see you around." I didn't know what to say! I didn't want to see him around! Why did I say that?! 

"I hope we won't see each other so often," he suddenly said. I didn't know why I felt a slight ache in my chest. "Because it would mean that the kid's unhealthy. Take care of the child." 

One nod, and he had already walked away with the dog. Just like what he wanted, I never saw him again, but I think that was better since I also didn't want Avrielle to visit the hospital so often! I rarely saw him at the park, too. Maybe he purposely avoided it. 

I attended a formal event for my friend's birthday, but I didn't expect to see Charles there. Clyden's brother. He was wearing a black tux, holding a champagne glass. His hair was longer now, but his attitude was still the same. 

"Samantha Vera, wow, long time no see, huh!" Charles walked in my direction. 

"Hello, Charles." I didn't want to talk to him, but I still tried my best to fake it. After knowing what he did to Clyden when they were kids, I couldn't face him the same way too. "How are you?" 

"Well, I'm fine. I'm taking care of Ramirez Medical now under the supervision of my Dad." He smirked. 

"You're... inheriting the medical?" I asked. The last time I remember, it was Clyden, right? He gave it up for me, but I had already left him, so what happened? 

"Yes. You should realize by now how dumb my brother is. Hawak na niya ang pera, pinakawalan niya pa. I worked hard to get this one." He gave me a satisfied smirk. "Dad changed his mind." 

I looked at the ring on his finger. "You're engaged now?" 

"Well, yeah." He shrugged and looked at his hand. "Arranged. I don't care, though. As long as I have the business. Congratulate me, I guess? I'll invite you to the wedding." 

"C-congratulations." I gave him a fake smile before excusing myself from the conversation. That was unexpected. 

I had to take Avrielle to Japan for Yanna, so I cleared my schedule for her. Besides, I wanted to meet some of my friends, too. I made friends with Japanese models during shoots. I was planning to go out for a drink with them. 

So now that Hiro had come back, I knew he would take Yanna and Avrielle with him. I wouldn't worry about taking care of Avi anymore, huh? I will miss her, though. Should I get myself a dog? But do I have time to take care of a pet? I was thinking of so many things while waiting for Raylee. 

From: Raylee

Sam, oh my gosh, I'm sorry I ditched you, but I got caught in a taxi accident. I'm okay, though! Let's see each other next time! 

Damn! She bailed! I sighed heavily and massaged my head while seated alone in a luxury restaurant here in Japan. I went here so early to see her because she asked me to meet, but then I couldn't blame her for having an accident. 

"Hi, can I have what I ordered earlier?" I talked to the waiter. He nodded and walked away. 

I was about to pour wine into my glass when a familiar man sat on the empty chair in front of me. My eyes widened when I realized who it was. Muntik ko pang matapon 'yong wine kaya binalik ko muna sa table. 

"Haze!" I gave him an awkward smile. I had been seeing him a lot at some events, but he never actually sat in front of me like this. "I never thought I would see you here." 

"Same with you, Sam. Can I sit here?" he asked formally, and I nodded. "So, your date didn't show up, huh?" 

"Oh, it's just an old friend," I explained. He got the bottle on the table and poured it into my wine glass. He did the same with his. I looked around to see if he was with someone else, but I saw no one. 

"The businessmen I was in a meeting with already went out to grab some drinks," he explained when he noticed my eyes. 

"You don't want to grab a drink?" I asked. "Don't you drink?" 

"I was about to, but I saw a familiar face, and look at where I am now." He laughed and sipped on his wine glass, hiding his smirk underneath. 

I bit my lower lip and took a sip of my wine, too. A few moments later, the waiter had already served my food. I asked him if he wanted some, but he ordered a dessert by himself out of respect. He said he didn't want me to eat alone. 

"Hiro was here," I told him. I was with them earlier! I was happy because Avrielle was finally with her dad. 

"Yeah, Mom told me." He shrugged. When he noticed that I was having a hard time slicing my steak, he offered to slice them for me. I just let him do that because I didn't know how to refuse. Besides, I didn't want to embarrass myself anymore. 

"Thanks," I said when he brought the plate back in front of me. He started eating his dessert quietly while listening to me. I couldn't be silent even for a second, so I started talking to him about his business in Japan. 

It was still early. I had to come home early to take care of Avrielle and let Hiro and Yanna have some alone time for dinner tonight, so binilisan ko ang pagkain ko. Haze must have noticed because he also quickened his pace. 

We had to finish the bottle of wine fast pero mas marami akong nainom. Since binigla ko sarili ko, I got a little tipsy. It was just a little, so it wasn't really a big deal. I just gained some confidence and became more talkative. 

"Have you ever fallen in love?" I asked him, smiling. He looked like he wasn't even surprised by my question. He even laughed at me. 

"Of course," he answered while his fingers were playing with the wine glass. Hindi pa nga niya nauubos ang baso niya. "How about you?" 

"I fell in love with such a great person, you know! We were together for a long time! We even lived together and promised to marry each other, but I ended up leaving him. And then I started seeing him again weeks and weeks ago, and now I realize that everything has already changed!" I wanted to stop my mouth, but I couldn't! 

"What changed?" he asked, his lips curving into a smile. He was enjoying this! 

"Well, he didn't look at me the same way anymore. He didn't talk to me the same way anymore. He was cold and rude, like his usual self, and he told me that we shouldn't see each other often! It hurt a little, you know?! I thought I had already moved on from him, but when I saw him, I went back to zero! But... But! But it's not like I want to get back together with him, alright? It's just... I don't know... I was expecting more, I guess." I sighed heavily and held my head. 

The sun was still up, and I was here, talking about my heartbreak?! Samantha Vera, ang aga-aga pa! I was keeping all of this for weeks! For months! 

"Well, you left him. You can't just expect him to treat you the same way. Love fades, Sam." His smile was so teasing! I wanted to punch him in the face! 

"Okay! But it hurts!" I pouted and held my chest. He suddenly looked away and coughed awkwardly when I accidentally pulled on my neckline when I fisted on my shirt. 

He stood up and placed a huge sum of money on the small black tray on the table before holding my shoulders to force me to stand up. 

"Come on. Pick yourself up, princess. I'll take you home," he whispered while helping me up. 

I went to the bathroom to wash my face and retouch my makeup again. I sobered up when he got me a cab, and just to make sure that I was going in the right direction, he went inside with me. I was looking outside the window the whole time, embarrassed. What the hell did I just say to him? Kaunti na lang ay makukuwento ko na ang buong buhay ko. 

"Don't you have a girlfriend, Haze?" I asked when I remembered him telling me that he had already fallen in love back then. 

"I don't," he casually answered. "Why? Are you applying?" 

My head immediately turned in his direction. I wasn't expecting him to say that! He suddenly laughed at my expression and shook his head in a teasing manner. Damn, his attitude really matched Hiro's! Magkapatid nga sila. 

"Do you have a boyfriend?" he asked back. "Oh, right. You are heartbroken." He smirked again. 

"Wow, just when I thought that you were a nice person!" I glared at him playfully. 

"I am, I think." He looked outside the window and leaned his elbow against the door. "You just look cute when you're mad." 

Cute?! Cute?! I heard a lot of compliments for my looks but cute wasn't one of them! I rarely heard the word 'cute' pertain to me! Cute was like a puppy! Like a kid! Hindi naman ako bata. 

"You're old," I told him. 

"What?" His brows furrowed when he looked at me again. He didn't look offended. He looked more amused. "I'm what?" 

"Old," I repeated, not regretting it. I was surprised when he suddenly let out a laugh. The side of his lips went up, forming a smirk. 

"It's not like you look young either," he insulted back. 

"What?!" Agad nag-init ang ulo ko! I felt my blood boiling inside of me. My gosh! My head hurt! I wanted to hit him with my bag so badly! "So you're showing your true colors now, huh?" 

The smile on his face didn't fade when he scooted over and held my chin up. My eyes widened when he suddenly leaned over to me and looked straight into my eyes.

"Are you still drunk?" he whispered, raising a brow. I blinked twice and shook my head. "Yeah? Then calm down and be good." 

I nodded and stayed in my seat when he let me go. He laughed again when he saw my reaction and even said sorry, which was obviously a half-ass apology. What just happened?

"Goodness. I am surrounded by assholes," I whispered. 

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:)